Partner Church

Revering our roots

This committee oversees our continuing relationship with the Unitarian church in Brasso, Romania. Through letters, fundraising and visits, we communicate support to these oppressed people while learning from their very intriguing ancient culture.

What we do:

We research and present to the congregation an annual worship service about our partner church and Unitarian life in Romania or a related topic.

We raise funds for the Brassó congregation through the annual partner church weekend and other activities such as lunches.

We contribute to problem-solving, such as helping to construct a new wing to their church and helping several Romanian churches that were devastated by floods in 2006.

We support ministerial exchanges between Brassó and Vancouver. Phillip Hewett has been to Brassó nine times, Steven Epperson once and, overcoming considerable challenges, their ministers have visited Vancouver twice.

We encourage travel to Brassó by UCV members. Since 1990, about twelve UCV members have visited – some of them several times.

In the fall of 2011 five members of UCV and two from Beacon traveled to Romania to visit our Partner churches in Brasso and Kobatfava in Transylvania. We stayed in homes, attended worship services and saw both modern and old methods of farming. Following these visits we traveled on the PCC bus with their two guides visiting Unitarians churches and sites finally traveling to north-eastern Romania to see the magnificent Orthodox painted monasteries of Bucovina. A fascinating and rewarding visit to a unique area full of Unitarian history.

Overall, we promote fellowship between our two congregations. Despite language difficulties, we maintain an active dialogue with our partner church.